Historical tsunamis · December 1530

1531 Tagus River, Lisbon tsunami

Portugal

The tsunami of December 1530 originated near Tagus River, Lisbon (Portugal).

Key facts

Date
December 1530
Cause
Earthquake
Magnitude
M7.7
Maximum documented water height
—
Deaths
30,000
Houses destroyed
1,500
Damage
severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
Observation records
1
Countries affected
1

It was triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake.

1 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.

The database records 30,000 deaths.

Houses destroyed: 1,500.

Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).

All tsunamis in PortugalRecord at NOAA/NCEI ↗

Map of observation sites

1

Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.

Observations by country

CountryObservation recordsMaximum documented water heightDeathsEarliest arrival
Portugal1———

Highest documented water heights

1 / 1

Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.

Location / stationObserved heightDistance from sourceCountry
Lisbon—19 kmPortugal

More tsunamis in Portugal

  • Azores Jan 1, 1980, 4:42 PM UTC · 0.41 m
  • Portugal Feb 28, 1969, 2:40 AM UTC · 0.90 m
  • Madeira Island Mar 4, 1930, 6:03 PM UTC · 5.00 m
  • Azores Jul 9, 1847 · 7.00 m
  • Lisbon Nov 1, 1755, 9:30 AM UTC · 18.3 m

Tsunamis nearby

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.